For many years, lace-tied shoes have been in use wherein the upper of the shoe is secured on the foot through laces which have to be tied and untied in order to secure and remove the shoe from the foot. The most common method for tieing such shoes is to use an overhand knot followed by a bow. Frequently if the bow is not tied in a further overhand knot, in what is sometimes referred to as a knotted bow, the shoelace becomes untied during normal use of the shoe.
Persons engaged in sports using laced shoes or sneakers, such as running, tennis, football and basketball, normally use laced type shoes and sneakers. A common problem in such sports is having the lace become untied unintentionally during the sports activity. The most common way to avoid such problem is to tie the shoes in what is commonly known as a "double knot" wherein the bow is further tied into an overhand knot. A big disadvantage in the double knot is that when the user of the shoe wants to take the shoe off, it is often difficult to untie the knot.
A particular problem is found with the ordinary jogger who runs many miles frequently over varied terrain and quite often picks up mud and moisture on the soles of the shoe. The usual jogger returns to his home and being quite tired must bend over and untie the double-knotted shoes in order to take them off prior to entering his home. Frequently the frustration involved in untieing securely knotted running shoes overcomes the jogger and the jogger merely enters the home with his shoes still packed with mud or water on the soles and frequently bringing said mud or water onto the floors of his home.